Tutti a Tavola, 2011

When word got around that we were going to be offering a cooking class taught by two of the four women who make up Tutti A Tavola, a destination cooking program in Tuscany, the response was overwhelming.  The roster of registrants quickly filled up, as did the waiting list.

It was easy to see why.

Mimma and Franca are endearing, lively, and funny in only the way that sisters who are best friends can be. Their passion comes through in the way they relate to their guests and in the care with which they treat each ingredient. In the course of several hours with the ladies, guests got a taste not just of Tuscan cooking but of Tuscan warmth: nicknames were penned, hugs were given often and spoons were passed around to offer a taste of the various works in progress. Students chopped fennel, roasted melanzane, squeezed lemons and oranges, and listened to Mimma and Franca as they discussed the importance of using quality ingredients as a foundation for good food.

After class, the ladies joined the group for a feast that showcased all of their hard work:  Insalata di farro (spelt salad with roasted vegetables), riso verde (rice with spinach and gorgonzola cheese), maiale all’uso di caccia (pork loin hunter’s style), finocchi e cipollotti brasati (braised fennel and spring onions) and gelato alla crema e vaniglia (Italian vanilla ice cream) topped with a delectable citrus sauce that, it’s safe to say, was licked clean from every plate.

Gracing our dinner was a slow-rising moon outside.

Our week has been eventful and inspiring. Here’s what we’ve been up to:

POP TECH
We had the fortune of presenting at Pop! Tech this week. For those who don’t know, Pop! Tech is a network of innovative leaders and thinkers who convene in downtown Camden once a year.  The theme for this year’s conference is “Brilliant Accidents, Necessary Failures, and Improbable Breakthroughs.”

On Wednesday, a group of Pop! Tech attendees joined us for a chat in the garden, where Annemarie spoke briefly about her history, about the inspirations and accidents that informed her trajectory and about her vision for Salt Water Farm.  Inside, Ladleah took the reins for a session of bread and cheese-making — foods that essentially resulted from brilliant accidents.

Attendees got their hands dirty in the kitchen, where they transformed yeast, honey and flour into bread dough, stirred pots of milk and lemon juice over heat to make ricotta, and shook jars full of heavy cream to create butter.

Here is a sample of our Pop Tech afternoon:

GAME BIRDS NATIVE TO MAINE
Last Sunday, we had the immense privilege of hosting journalist,  hunter and food-and-wine aficionado George Semler for our class about Game Birds Native to Maine.  George came all the way from Blue Hill bearing an assortment of delightful treats: feathered birds (woodcock and grouse), bread from Tinder Hearth and a special blueberry liqueur from the UK that he was gracious enough to share with us.  He spent the evening sharing his knowledge with the class and also prepared a wonderful side of bird entrails served on Tinder Hearth toast.

Best treat of all: George invited Annemarie and her father up to Blue Hill for a weekend of hunting and of learning more about game birds.  Perhaps they’ll come back with a woodcock like the one George brought up.